Barrel coupling



y 6, 1954 c. E. CHRISTOPHERSEN ,683,051

BARREL COUPLING Filed March 31, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

6mm 8. mmtofimm Patented July 6, 1954 BARREL COUPLING Clarence E. Christophersen, Inglewood, Calif. Application March 31, 1952, Serial No. 279,630

Claims.

This invention relates to split band couplings and has as its general object to provide an improved coupling for securing a lid to a barrel having an annular outwardly projecting bead at the rim thereof. Specifically, the invention contemplates a split band coupling adapted to simultaneously receive the periphery of the rim and also the bead, for clamping the lid to the rim of the barrel.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved connector and clamping mechanism for joining the split ends of the coupling band together about theperiphery of the barrel rim, so as to tightly press the lid against the rim. A further object is to provide an improved coupling and clamping mechanism the major parts of which may be readily constructed in the form of sheet metal stampings.

Another object is to provide a barrel lid coupling including connector and clamping mechanism having only slight radial projection beyond the periphery of the band thereof.

Another object is to provide such a coupling having maximum ruggedness and not readily damaged by the rough treatment to which barrels are customarily subjected during transportation thereof by carriers.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications and appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a barrel with my improved coupling attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the coup Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the p Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional View through a portion of the coupling and adjacent portions of the barrel and lid, taken on the line 4--l of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail cross sectional View of the coupling taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail cross sectional view of the coupling taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectional view of the coupling taken on the line l'| of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, my improved coupling, as applied to a barrel [0 having a rim bead ll defining the mouth thereof, is adapted to secure thereto a lid I2 adapted to seat against the rim of the barrel (defined by the top surface of said rim bead H). Bead H projects generally in a radially outward direction from the upper extremity of the lateral wall of the barrel.

COLI- The coupling of my invention embodies a band l3 of channel section, generally V-shaped in cross section, having an upper wall portion M for engaging the lid 12, a lower wall portion I5, for engaging the under side of bead l l, and a flange l6 projecting downwardly from lower wall portion 15 and adapted to bear against the lateral wall of barrel m. Flange l6 also functions to stiffen the lower wall member 15. Upper wall member i4 is of toroidal contour, having a cross sectional shape corresponding to approximately a circular arc. Lower wall member l5 has the shape of a flat cone subtending an angle, relative to the axis thereof, which may be roughly in the neighborhood of 15 to 20. Lower Wall member l5, when drawn radially inwardly by constriction of the band l3, exerts a Wedging or camming action against bead H to force the same upwardly against rim I2, while wall member I4 tends to press lid 12 downwardly against bead ll. Thus the lid is clamped tightly to the rim of the barrel. Flange it approaches a cylindrical form, being slightly flared downwardly to match the taper of barrel it at the rim thereof.

For constricting the band, I provide connector and clamping mechanism comprising an anchor ll of yoke form, including a pair of laterally spaced, generally parallel, roughly triangular side wall members l8 and a web 19 bridging between the wall members l8 and integrally joining the same to each other. The edges of side wall members I8, opposite web l9, are welded, as at 26, to the periphery of one end portion of band It. Side members is have registering openings receiving the T-head trunnions 2| of a T-bolt 22. To the other end of coupling 13 is secured an anchor block 23 having a transverse bore through which is extended a pintle 24. Anchor block 23 is welded to the periphery of band I3 as indicated at 25 in Fig. 5.

Clamping lever 26, of channel section, generally U-shaped in cross section, has a pair of spaced parallel arms 21 projecting from one end thereof, arms 21 being provided with aligned apertures in which the ends of pintle 24 are received and secured (e. g. by peening said ends outwardly as indicated in Fig. 5). At the other end of lever 26, respective side Wall portions 28 thereof embrace the band i3 so that said other end portion, (indicated at 29, the side wall portions being flattened against the web thereof as shown in Fig. 4) may lie flatly against the periphery of band l3. Thus the lever 26 tends to merge smoothly with the periphery of band I3, Without any sharp projection of any substantial depth. From this end of the lever, the radial projection thereof beyond band l3 gradually increases (i. e., the lever is disposed at a low acute angle to the periphery of band l3), until at the anchor 23, there is no overlapping of the band I3 by the side wall portions of the lever.

Lever 26 is connected to T-bolt 22 by a coupling link 30 comprising a pair of laterally spaced arms 3! joined at one end thereof by a web member 32 bridging therebetween. Web 32 has an outwardly arched central portion 33 which is roughly semicircular, and cooperates with a similarly arched yoke 34. to define a roughly cylindrical bearing sleeve through which the shank of bolt 22 extends. The end portions of yoke 34 are welded, as at 35, to the under side of web 32 and to side arms 3| of link 33. Belt 22 has a threaded end, upon which is threaded a nut 36, engaging, through a washer 37, the inner end of sleeve 33, 34. Arms 3|, adjacent web 3|, are narrowed by notches 38 which provide, in link 30, a clearance space for reception of a wrench, in order that nut 36 may be engaged and rotated thereby. Nut 36 provides for adjustment of the overall length of the band by adjusting the spacing between the outer end of sleeves 33, 34 and adjacent end of anchor Sleeves 33, 34, being disposed at the periphery of the coupling, the line of pull between pivots 2| and 39 will cause the end portions of arms 3| adjoining web 32 to project radially inwardly a substantial distance past the periphery of band I3. Further-more, anchor I? is set back from the end of band l3 sufiiciently so that in all positions of adjustment of the connector mechanism, the end portions of arms 3|, adjacent web 32, will bridge across the gap 40 between the ends of the band and will embrace the end of band I3 which projects beyond anchor l1, while the intermediate portions of arms 3| will closely embrace the anchor block 23 on the other end of the band. This is an important feature of the invention, since it provides for maintaining end to end alignment of the ends of the band l3 when it is not clamped upon the barrel, and therefore facilitates the application of the coupling to the barrel.

Arms 3|, at their ends remote from bridging web 32, are pivoted to lever 26 at a position intermediate pin 24 and the opposite end of the lever, and adjacent pin 24. The pivotal connection between lever 26 and arms 3| may comprise a pin 39 extended through the side wall portions of lever 26 and riveted into openings in the ends of arms 3|.

Arms 3| are spaced apart to embrace the end portions of band l3 sufficiently to allow the axis of pivot pin 33 to pass over center with relation to the line of pull between pivots 2| and 24, as the lever 26 is being moved toward band |3 for clamping the band. The tension developed in the band is then sufiicient to hold lever 26 snugly engaged against the band |3 as indicated in Fig. 2

The triangular shape of side wall portions l8 of anchor provides a gradual incline, in the overall peripheral contour of the coupling, from the periphery of the band l3 to the top of anchor H. The latter has substantially the same height as that of link 30, the vperiphery of which constitutes the crest or outermost portion of the overall contour. From this crest, there is a gradual downward slope along the periphery of lever 23 to the periphery of band l3. Thus the coupling avoids any sharpoffsets or projections of any substantial depth, in the overall peripheral contour.

In the operation of the clamp, starting with the clamped position shown in Fig. 2, the end 29 of lever 23 is grasped and pulled away from band l3. When pivot 39 has moved outwardly past dead center with relation to the line of pull between pivots 2| and 24, the locking tension on lever 26 will be relieved and the lever may then be freely swung, clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2, to a position in which pivot 39 is disposed on the opposite side of pivot 24 from that shown in Fig. 2. This increases the circumferential dimension of the coupling by roughly twice the distance between pivots 39 and 24, providing ample loosening of the band to allow it to be slipped past bead H and thus off of the barrel. Conversely, in applying the coupling to the barrel, the lid i2 is simply rested on rim bead H, the coupling, in the open position, is fitted over the rim H and the periphery of lid I2, and lever 26 is then swung counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2, drawing the split ends of the band together and causing the wall members M and I5 of the band to exert a compressive wedging action in which lid l2 and the barrel rim are squeezed tightly into sealing engagement with each other.

I claim:

1. In a barrel lid coupling, for a barrel having a rim provided with a radially outwardly extending bead and a lid to seat against said rim, said coupling comprising: a split coupling band in the form of a ring disposed generally in a flat plane and having an axis normal to said plane and passing through the center thereof, said band being of generally channel section including diverging side wall members adapted to embrace between them the bead and the periphery of said lid and to exert a compressive wedging action for seating the lid against the rim when the band is constricted; a bolt and a lever, each having an end thereof pivotally anchored to a respective end of the band on an axis generally parallel to the axis of the band; and a connecting link of one-piece stamped sheet metal construction comprising a pair of parallel arms pivoted at one end of said link to said lever on an axis intermediate the free end of the lever and the axis of pivotal connection of said lever to the band and parallel to the latter, said link having at its other end a web portion integrally connecting and bridging between said arms, said web portion having a substantially semi-cylindrical central arched portion; a yoke having aligned end portions secured to the inner side of said web on respective sides of said arched portion and having an arched central portion cooperating with said arched portion of the web to define a substantially cylindrical sleeve snugly receiving said bolt; and a nut threaded on the end of said bolt and engaging the inner end of said sleeve for adjustably connecting the bolt to said link.

2. In a barrel lid coupling, for a barrel having a rim provided with a radially outwardly extending bead and a lid to seat againstsaid rim, said coupling comprising: a split coupling band in the form of a ring disposed generally in a fiat plane and having an axis normal to said plane and passing through the center thereof, said band being of generally channel section including diverging side wall members adapted to embrace between them the bead and the periphery of said lid and to exert a compressive wedging action for seating the lidagainst the rim when the band is constricted; a bolt and a lever, each having an end thereof pivotally anchored to a respective end of the band on an axis generally parallel to the axis of the band; and a connecting link of one-piece stamped sheet metal construction comprising a pair of generally parallel arms embracing and pivoted to said lever at one end of said link on an axis intermediate the free end of the lever and the axis of pivotal connection between the lever and the band and parallel to the latter, said link having at its other end a web portion integrally joining and bridging between said arms and embodyinga sleeve through which said bolt extends, and a nut threaded on said bolt and engaging the inner end of said sleeve. 2

3. A coupling as defined in claim 2, wherein said lever is of channel section including a web portion and including side walls adapted to embrace said band whereby said web is adapted to contact the periphery of the band at the free end of said lever, the lever, in the contracted condition of the band, providing a gradual incline in the overall peripheral contour of the coupling, from the periphery of the barrel to the periphery of the link, the latter constituting the outermost portion of the overall coutour.

4. A coupling as defined in claim 2, wherein the axis of pivotal attachment of said bolt is set back from the one end of the band to which it is attached and wherein said link arms are in snugly embracing relation to the pivoted end of said lever, are bridged across the gap between the ends of said band, and are in closely embracing relation to said one end of the band, whereby to maintain end-to-end alignment of the band ends.

5. In a barrel lid coupling, for a barrel having a rim provided with a radially outwardly extending bead and a lid to seat against said rim, said coupling comprising: a split coupling band of generally channel section including diverging side wall members adapted to embrace between them the bead and the periphery of said lid and to exert a compressive wedging action for seating the lid against the rim when the band is constrictecl; said band having adjacent ends separated by a gap, an anchor secured to said band adjacent but set back from one' end thereof, with said one end projecting therefrom; a lever having one end thereof pivoted to the band adjacent the other end of the band and extending circumferentially away from said anchor; a bolt having one end pivoted to said anchor and extending toward said lever; and a link of one-piece stamped sheet metal construction including spaced side arms which, at one end of the link, embrace the pivoted end portion of said lever between them and are pivoted, to said lever at a point beyond the lever pivot in a direction away from said gap, said link having at its other end a web portion bridging transversely between and integrally connecting said side arms, said web portion being provided with a sleeve extending longitudinally and medially of the link, said bolt extending through said sleeve and having threaded thereon a nut which engages said sleeve and is embraced between said arms, said arms bridging across said gap and closely embracing the respective end portions of said band to resist lateral displacement thereof with relation to the general plane of the band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 749,782 Forbes Jan. 19, 1904 1,148,472 Adams July 27, 1915 1,501,203 Crossley July 15, 1924 1,978,241 Wilcox Oct. 23, 1934 2.304.911 Harpold Dec. 15, 1942 

